PHILADELPHIA – There have been few reasons for curtain calls, no need for celebratory handshakes. There’s yet to be much need for a tape measure.

One of the strange developments so far in 2007 has been the Mets’ head-scratching lack of home runs, as nearly everybody in the NL is going deep more often.

The Mets have played 11 games – getting rained out last night for the second straight day – but have seen only six of their hits leave the yard.

Entering yesterday, the Mets were tied with Colorado for 13th in the NL, with only the Cubs and Giants hitting fewer. The Mets have four starting players – Carlos Delgado, David Wright, Moises Alou and Jose Valentin – who have yet to homer.

What’s more, the Mets have gone homer-less in eight of their 11 games after hitting 200 homers last season, fourth in the NL.

One reason for this homer hibernation, according to hitting coach Rick Down, has been the brutal weather.

“That’s a big part of it,” Down said.

But how much does the weather excuse fly? While the Mets aren’t hitting homers, other teams are, both around the NL and in games against the Mets.

In their 11 games, the Mets have served up 11 homers. And over the last five games, the Mets hit zero homers, while they allowed a combined seven to the Phillies and Nationals.

Wright believes that in the last five games at home, “We hit some balls pretty good. Just the conditions were tough. We faced some good pitching.

“But I don’t think it has anything to do with the hitters on our team. I think the home runs will come.”

As does Down. But even though the Mets aren’t going deep often, as long as they’re putting up enough runs to earn wins, he has few complaints.

“We’re power and speed and pitching and defense,” Down said. “Right now we’re getting on base. Our on-base [percentage] and our average is pretty good.”

Wright even believes the lack of homers can have a positive side effect.

“It makes us be a better situational-hitting team,” he said. “We can’t sit back and play for the three-run home run. We put pressure on the defense and we need to be able to beat teams in more ways than just sitting back and waiting for home runs. There’s going to be times where, especially at Shea, that we’re not going to be able to win games on home runs.

“It shows you that we don’t have to rely on a home run to win a game. We can rely on our speed. We can rely on our situational hitting to win games.”